Following a recent review of 131 units, the Care Quality Commission (CQC), an independent regulator of healthcare and adult social care, has discovered notable problems with safety management, buildings, and equipment.
In the report published by BBC News, it has been shown that the CQC’s investigation took over 16 months to reach completion and concentrated on the care provided by NHS maternity units, some of which hadn’t been inspected or rated since as far back as March 2021.
The NHS unit in East Kent, and Shrewsbury and Telford NHS Trust, were highlighted in the report for supposedly supplying a poor standard of care to its patients. In some cases, the standard of care is believed to have contributed to cases of babies being inflicted with life-changing injuries or dying. However, the CQC confirmed these problems were more widespread.
The review noted that there were significant issues in the way safety was being managed in these units, amongst others, and even stated warnings that preventable harm was at risk of “becoming normalised”, with Health Secretary Wes Streeting announcing that: “These findings are cause for national shame.
“Women deserve better – childbirth should not be something they fear or look back on with trauma.”
Streeting added that the government would be working with all units falling below the expected standard to make emergency improvements.
Key Concerns found in Report:
- Lack of support for women whose first language was not English.
- Caesarean delays due to unavailable theatres.
- Busy and often overheated wards.
- Bad leadership and management resulting in blame cultures.
- Inconsistencies with safety incident records.
- Insufficient equipment.
- Limited access to toilets and showers for patients.
According to the news article, there are growing concerns about the number of clinical negligence claims relating to pregnancy and childbirth, with 13% of all the claims against the NHS last year being in this area. These claims involved cases in which parents whose babies suffered severe injuries due to medical negligence and poor care received significant payouts.
In conclusion, the review found that 48% of units investigated were found to be inadequate or in desperate need of immediate improvement, resulting in a quarter of them supposedly receiving a lower rating than when last inspected, with 65% failing to meet safety standards.
Source: Harm at risk of being normalised in maternity care
Birth Injury Compensation Claims
Doctors and midwives are expected to provide the best possible care during childbirth, yet there are repeated incidences of mistakes, often leading to birth injuries. Birth injuries due to medical negligence can be devastating and, in some cases, fatal.
At the Personal Injury People, our specialist team of medical negligence solicitors are highly experienced in handling cases where serious injuries have occurred before, during or after birth, as well as in the first few days and weeks of a child’s life. We understand that these situations can lead to considerable emotional distress, which is why we work meticulously and strive for justice for our clients.
Our team is dedicated to providing compassionate and effective legal representation to those affected by birth injuries. We understand the complex medical and legal issues that arise in these cases and have the expertise and resources to navigate them successfully. Call our specialist personal injury team today at 0800 731 7555 or complete the enquiry form to get in touch.